Textile materials and method of preparing same



' Patented Ma i4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TEXTILE MATERIALS AND METHOD OF PREPARING SAME William Whitehead, Cumberland, Md., assignor to Celanese Corporation of America, a corpora tion of Delaware No Drawing. Application June 30, 1936, Serial No. 88,091

. 20 Claims. This invention relates to the lubrication of etextile yarns, filaments and like materials, para lubricant dressing to textile yarn and filaments the following detailed description.

- lustering baths.

I have found that a mixture of mineral oil and a sulphonated naphthene or their salts are excellent lubricants when mixed in the right proportion and applied to or incorporated in the organic derivatives of cellulose, yarns, filaments or like materials, and that such a lubricant when applied in anearly stage of the textile operations, say at the. formation of the yarn or filaments, does not prohibit a uniform application, at a later stage of the textile operation, of a yarn or filament conditioning dressing containing oil and a substance having at least a solvent or latent solvent action on the derivative of cellulose, or of anti-static finishes containing organic or inorganic electrolytes.

Many textile lubricants are known. Some of these lubricants, although imparting to the yarn or filaments suflicient lubrication for textile processing, develop quite a fair amount of free acidity upon ageing. Under certain conditions this change in the lubricantdevelops changes in the yarn or filaments such as their reaction .to de- Some other lubricants are subjected to oxidative or hydrolytic changes that tend to cause polymerization or become gummy, thus producing yarns or filaments having a gummy or tacky surface, that cause a drag on yarns as they pass through guides,,etc.

The lubricant dressing formed inaccordance with this invention, when applied to yarns containing organic derivatives of cellulose, does not effect a change on the yarns or filaments. It does not give to the yarns or filaments a rough or harsh feel as do many lubricants'upon long contact with the yarn, nor does it impart hardness and brittleness to the yarns. The; lubricant dress ing made in accordance with thisinvention does not develop rancid odors uponageing and for this reason the fabrics formed of the yarns treated" therewith need not be scoured entirely free of same. This property obviates the necessity of severe scouring. baths and thereby reduces the possibility of injury to the fabric. Furthermore, the lubricant dressing formed in accordance with this invention is easily scourable from textile ma-- terials in either cold or hot, hard or soft water even without the aid of soaps or other scouring agents. Also, it aids in the removal of other finishes that may have been applied to the yarn or filaments either before or after the present lubricant dressing.

A still further advantage of this invention is that yarns of organic derivatives of cellulose may be lubricated with the lubricant dressing as the said yarns or filaments are formed. The yarns or filaments so lubricated may be formed into large size packages, for instance, two-pound cheeses. The cheeses formed with yarns so lubricated do not develop a softness upon standing, which softness, when it occurs, gives rise to the slufiing-off of the yarns from the ends of the package. Furthermore, the lubricant dressing is such that even on the large size packages the yarn unwinds from said packages with even tension both from the, outside windings and the inside windings. By lubricating yarns or filaments in accordance with this invention, large size packages may be formed, thus permitting the formation of warps direct from the first package as formed;

In accordance with my invention, I lubricate yarns or filaments with a lubricant dressing containing a sulphonated naphthene compound and a mineral oil. Also, in accordance with my invention,. I lubricate yarns, filaments or similar materials made from or containing organic derivatives of cellulose with a lubricant dressing containing a sulphonated naphthene compound and a mineral oil at the time the materials are formed, and then at some subsequent textile operation I apply a conditioning dressing containing a suitableoil and a substance having at least a solvent or latent solvent action on the organic derivative of cellulose.

The invention is applicable to all types or filaments containing organic derivatives of cellulose, such as the organic esters and ethers of cellulose. Examples of organic. esters of cellulose are cellulose acetate, cellulose formate, cellulose propionate and cellulose butyrate; while examples of organic ethers of cellulose are ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose and benzyl cellulose. By the term yarns' or filaments is meant threads, assemblies or bundles of a number of continuous filaments which may be in parallel relationship or which may be twisted together, artificial bristles, straws, short lengths of staple of yarns from or containing organic derivatives of cellu fibers or yarn spun from such staple fibers. This invention is also applicable to the production and treatment of films, foils and sheet material made lose.

The yarns or filaments may nontain, besides the organic derivatives of cellulose base, various effect materials such as pigments, filling materials, dyes or lakes, fire retardants, plasticizers, and

sizes. Examples of fire retardants are beta chlornaphthalene, triphenyl phosphate and tricresyl phosphate. Examples of plasticizers are diethyl phthalate, dimethyl phthalate, ethyl toluene sulfonamide, etci Examples of filling materials are powdered metals, powdered oxides and carbonates of metals, lamp black and opaque organic substances. The effect materials may be applied to the yarns or filaments as a coating or they may be added to the solution from'which the yarns and filaments are to be spun.

The lubricant dressing may'be applied to the yarns or filaments in the course of their production, or it may be applied subsequently, before or during any textile operation in which they are employed. The lubricant dressing may beapplied to the yarns and filaments by adding a suitable quantity of the same to the spinning solution from which the filaments are spun by either a dry evaporative method or by a wet spinning method. The amount of lubricant dressing applied to the yarns and filaments in this way may suifice for the subsequent textile operations. The

lubricant dressing may, however, be applied to the yarns or filaments during any winding operation thereof by passing the same in contact with a wick, roller, disc or other furnishing device that dips into the lubricant dressing. The yarns or filaments may be drawn through a solution or emulsion of the lubricant dressing or the solution or emulsion may be sprayed upon the yarn. The particular nature of the lubricant dressing and the manner of applying it may vary considerably according to the particular textileoperations in view of other circumstances. The lubricant dressing may also be applied to the yarns or filaments by hank dipping methods or by forcing the lubricant dressing through packages of the yarn. The yarns may also be lubricated by padding or spraying after they have been processed to a fabric.

The lubricant dressing forming a part of this invention contains from 5 to 15 parts of a sulphonated naphthene compound and from 95 to parts of a suitable oil. The preferred, lubricant dressing contains parts by weight of mineral oil and 10 parts by weight of asulphonated naphthene. For the purpose of describing this invention and in the appending claims, the'term 'sulphonated naphthene is meant to include the sulphonated product of any suitable aromatic hydrocarbon of the general formula CnH2n also known ascyclo-parafiins or hydrated benzenes.

Any suitable oil may be employed in-this dressing,

for instance, mineral oil, a mineral oil blended.

eral oil may be replaced by vegetable oil such as olive oil, castor oil, teaseed oil, cottonseed oil, etc., or the oxidized vegetable oils such as oxidized olive oil, oxidized castor oil, etc.

I have found that the moisture content of the sulphonated naphthene is involved when feeding the lubricant dressing to the yarn via wick. In any method of application it is preferable to employ sulphonated naphthene having a low moisture content, say below 4% by weight, while applying the dressing by means of a wick it is preferable to employ sulphonated naphthene having a moisture content below 1.5% by weight. Any suitable method may be employed for reducing the moisture content of the commercial sulphonated naphthene, for instance distilling under vacuum. As the moisture content is reduced the emulsifying power for oil and water varies: this, however, can be remedied by the addition of small amounts. such as .5% to 1.% by weight of triethanolamine oleate or other amine soap. The addition of the soap, however, is not absolutely necessary and good results may be obtained without employing the same.

An advantage of using the lubricant dressing forming a part of this invention is that the application of the same to yarn does not interfere with the uniformity of the application of a second coating containing an oil and a solvent or latent solvent for organicderivatives of cellulose. This is extremely important as some of the prior finishes, although suitable withrespect to their lubricative properties, shed or repelled the conditioning dressing so that the same was applied in a non-uniform manner, the yarn so treated being ununiformly produced. When such yarns were processed into fabrics, there resulted fabrics containing warp streaks, weft bars, frostiness. ,etc. which, of course, reduced or destroyed the commercial value of the fabric. The conditioning dressing may contain from 60 to 90 parts by weight of a formal and from 10 to 40 parts by weight of an oil. The formals may be made by the condensation of formaldehyde, or other aldehyde with polyhydric alcohols or their partial ethers such as glycerol ethylene glycol, mono- .methyl ether of ethylene glycol, etc., or an aliphatic hydroxy carboxylic' acid. Preferably, the formal obtained by the reaction of formaldehyde with the monomethyl ether of ethylene glycol is used. In place of some or all of the formals, there may be employed other suitable relatively non-volatile substances having at least a solvent 'or latent solvent action -on the organic derivatives of cellulose, such as ethyl oxybutryrate, -benzyl alcohol, diacetone alcohol and the like.

Any.suitable oil may be employed in the conditioning dressing such as olive oil, castor oil, teaseed oil, cottonseed oil, etc. A preferred conditioning dressing is made from about 80 parts by weight of formal, about 15 parts by weight of oxidized olive oil and about 5 parts by weight of olive oil. The oxidized vegetable oils may be substituted for all or a part of the unoxidized vegetable oils.

The amount of lubricant dressing applied will evaporative method of spinning as the yarns leave the spinning cabinet and still contain from of residual solvent. dressing may be applied at this point or at any subsequent textile operation while the yarns are in transit from one point to another as in a winding or twisting operation by causing the yarns to contact with a wick, a roller or other furnishing device which dips into said dressing.

When yarns of organic derivatives of cellulose have been coated with the lubricantdressing in accordance with this invention, they may have a further dressing applied thereto in a. uniform manner. The second dressing may be a conditioning dressing such as a yarn softening dressing or an anti-static finish, by passing the yarn over suitable furnishing devices, such as a wick, roller or disc, during any winding opera ,tion. For instance, yarns of cellulose acetate may have from 1 to 3% on the weight of the yarn of a lubricant dressing applied as the same leaves the metier in which they are formed and then have from 2 to 15% on the weight of the yarn of a conditioning dressing applied thereto just prior to knitting, or, if staple fiber, just prior to card-- The following are examples of practical applications of the invention, it being understood that these are given only by way of illustration and that the invention is in no way restricted thereto.

Example I g A yarn is spun by a dry evaporative method from a solution of celluloseacetate in acetone. Immediately after the yarn leaves the, spinning cabinet and prior to being wound on the capscours with uniform delustering.

. 2 Example II The yarnfrom Example I is twisted, say to 5 turns per inch twist, and during the twisting operation, while the yarn is in transit from one 6 package to another, the same contacts with a furnishingroller which applies 8% on the weight of the yarn of a conditifiiing dressing containing, a formal and an oxidized vegetable oil. The yarn is found to be evenly and sumciently lubricated and conditioned to circular knit with a good stitch shape or be otherwise formed into fabrics. The yarn after storage for a long period of time is easily scoured free of both dressings.

A still further advantage of this invention is that a lubricant dressing may be employed which contains a fugitive dyestufi, for'instance}; xylene brilliant blue B. C., xylene light yellow 2GI, xylene cyanol F. F. and acid green 2G. In this manyarns and like materials while maintained at elevated temperatures for reducing the viscosity of the same. The lubricant dressing may also con- I'he lubricant tain thinners or thickeners and may be applied to the yarns fro'maqueous emulsions.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is given merely by way of iilustration and that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, whatI desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i a

1. In a process for the manufacture of yarn,

filaments and like materials containing organic derivatives of cellulose the step of applying to the material a lubricant dressing comprising a sul- [phonated naphthene and an oil.-

2. In a process for the manufacture of yarn, filaments and like materials containing cellulose acetate, the step ofapplying ,to the material a lubricant dressing comprising a sulphonated filaments and like materials containing organic derivatives of cellulose, the step .of applying to the materials a lubricant dressing comprising 5 to 15 7 parts by weight of "a'sulphonated naphthene containing less than 4% by weight of moisture and 95 to 85 parts by weight of an oil.

6. In a process for the manufacture of yarn, filaments and like materials containing cellulose acetate, the step ofapplying to the material a lubricant dressing comprising-5 to 15 parts by weight of a sulphonated naphthene containing less than 4% by weight of moisture and 95 to 85 parts by weight of an 011. J

7. In a process for the "manufacture of yarn,

A filaments and, like materials containing organic I derivatives of cellulose, the step of applying to the materials, as they are formed, a lubricant dressing comprising from 5 to 15 partsby weight of a sulphonated naphthene and from 95 to 85 parts by weight of an oil. J

8. In a process for the manufacture 'of yarn, filaments and like materials containing cellulose acetate, the step 'of applying to the materials, as they are'formed, a lubricant dressing comprising from 5. to 15 parts by weight of a sulphonated naphthene and from anoll. 7

,9. In a process for the manufacture of textile 95 to 85 parts by weight of articles from artificial yarns, filaments and like ing a sulphonated naphthene and an oil, and at of applying to the materials asthey are formed,

a lubricant dressing comprising a sulphonated naphthene and an oil, and, at a subsequent oparticles from artificial-yarns, filaments and like materials that contain organic derivatives of cellulose, the steps of applying to the materials as they are formed, a lubricant dressing comprising a sulphonated naphthene and an oil and,

13. In a process for the manufacture of textilearticles from artificial yarns, filaments and like materials that contain organic derivatives of cellulose, the steps of applyingto the materials as they are formed, a lubricant dressing comprising a sulphonated naphthene and an oil and, at a subsequent operation, applying a condition- ,ing dressing comprising a substance having at least a solvent or latent solvent action on the organic derivative of cellulose and an oil.

14. In a process for the manufacture of textile articles from artificial yarns, filaments and like materials that contain cellulose acetate, the steps of applying to the materials as they are formed,

a. lubricant dressing comprising a sulphonated naphthene and an oil, and, at a subsequent operation, applying a conditioning dressing comprising a substance having at least a solvent or latent solvent action on the cellulose acetate and an oil.

15. In a process for the manufacture of textile articles from yarns, filaments and like materials that contain organic derivatives of cellulose, the

steps of applying to the materials as they are formed, a lubricant dressing comprising a sul-" phonated naphthene and an oil and, at a subsequent operation, applying a conditioning dressing comprising the condensation product of an aldehyde with a compound of the polyhydric alcohol type.

16. In a process for the manufacture of textile articles from yarns, filaments and like materials that contain cellulose acetate, the steps of applying to the materials as they are formed, a lubricant dressing comprising a sulphonated naphthene and an oil, and, at a subsequent operation,

applying a conditioning dressing comprising the condensation productof an aldehyde with a compound of the polyhydric alcohol type.

17. Yarns, filaments and like materialscontaining an organic derivative of cellulose having a dressing comprising a sulphonated naphthene and an oil.

18. Yarns, filaments and like materials containing cellulose acetate having a dressing comprising a sulphonated naphthene and. an oil.

19. Yarns, filaments and like materials containing an organic derivative of cellulose having a lubricating dressing comprising a sulphonated naphthene and an oil, and a conditioning dressing comprising a substance having at least a solvent or a latent solvent action on the organic derivative of cellulose.

20. Yarns, filaments and like materials containing cellulose acetate, having a lubricating dressing comprising a sulphonated naphthene and an oil, and a conditioning dressing comprising a substance having at least a solvent ora latent solvent action on the cellulose acetate.

WILLIAM WHITEHEAD. 

